Proper hepatic artery

The proper hepatic artery is the terminal branch of the common hepatic artery, itself a branch of the celiac trunk in classic anatomy. It typically arises after the common hepatic artery gives off the gastroduodenal artery, at which point it is termed the proper hepatic artery. The proper hepatic artery ascends within the hepatoduodenal ligament, anterior to the portal vein and medial to the common bile duct, toward the porta hepatis.

At the porta hepatis, the proper hepatic artery usually bifurcates into the right and left hepatic arteries, which supply the respective lobes of the liver. The right hepatic artery often gives rise to the cystic artery, which supplies the gallbladder. The left hepatic artery may give off branches to segment IV and the caudate lobe. The intrahepatic branches further subdivide to supply the segmental and subsegmental regions of the liver parenchyma.

Anatomical variations are common. The classic configuration is present in approximately 65–73% of individuals, with the remainder exhibiting replaced or accessory hepatic arteries arising from the superior mesenteric artery, left gastric artery, or, rarely, other sources.